These four City employee union gave a total of $17,500 to the “Yes on Measure A” campaign to get $6.6 million per year in return for past and future union pay raises and resulting pension increases.

There is an inherent and unavoidable conflict of interest when government employee unions contribute money and provide other forms of campaign support for candidates and ballot measures that will increase their pay and pensions, and then raise taxes on residents and businesses to pay for it.

The “Yes on Measure A” campaign claims Measure A is “supported by people you know and trust”. But if you really knew most of them, you probably would not trust them!

“Measure A – Supported by People You Know and Trust” slogan on a “Yes on Measure A” campaign mailer delivered on 3/29/2014.

Looking down their list of supporters, we find:

Four were city council candidates sponsored by the fire and police unions, who get huge pay raises in return for their campaign support – Bill Fisher, Sandra Jacobs (one of the two “Yes on Measure A” campaign co-chairs), Cindy Mortesen, and Janice Cruikshank;

One tried to steer a city contract to a friend for $120,000 when the more qualified bid was $65,000 for the same job;

One was AGAINST the tax hikes when he was a Hacienda Hotel employee, but now, as an ex-employee, he is FOR the tax hikes that will harm his former employer and the entire hotel industry – Joe Harding(one of the two “Yes on Measure A” campaign co-chairs), spoke out strongly against smaller Utility Users Tax (UUT) and Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) hikes at the 8/3/10 El Segundo City Council meeting, saying, “Most of you have seen first-hand what our industry has endured over the past 27 years.” “Our industry just can’t handle any increase.” “You must say ‘No’ to the hotel killer tax.” “A TOT and a UUT would hit us twice. That’d be like kicking us when we’re down, and then running us over for good measure.” “The City must make unpopular and difficult adjustments to their payroll and expenses.” “Leave the TOT where it is.”;

One is a former elected official who allegedly had an affair with his campaign manager, which allegedly broke up her marriage.

One was a no-show city clerk who worked full-time for another city but collected two government paychecks – Cindy Mortesen;

One is a school teacher union member who misused School District public facilities, public resources, and students to campaign for a City Council candidate – Ray Gen;

One is a police captain who made the news for bullying and harassing a city resident at his workplace for posting the public record police and fire union salaries on his website – Police Captain Robert (Bob) Turnbull;

Three crashed and disrupted the meet-and-greet of City Council candidate Mike Dugan, and heckled and interrupted him, causing some of the voters to leave early – City Council Member David Atkinson, City Council Member (and Los Angeles police officer and union member) Marie Fellhauer, and police captain and union member Robert (Bob) Turnbull;

One is the election official who runs the entire election and counts all the ballots, and should not endorse candidates or ballot measures in elections she conducts – Tracy Weaver;

And missing are the four City employee unions who contributed $17,500 to the Yes on Measure A campaign to raise our taxes and their pay.

I wish to invite the public to the Planning meeting tonight. The subject is the property at 640 E. Imperial. Currently there is a field that ES Little League developed for rookie and Challenged children to play, as well as an unused school.

City wants to zone for single/multiple housing. ESUSD needs revenue. The only way to accomplish that is to lease the property to a developer. ESUSD needs the City to rezone for a planned assisted living and single/multiple use development. To generate maximum revenue, the property will have to be developed the max. The same overdeveloped noisy neighborhood is happening all over town. What will the value of property surrounding this project become? … Continue reading →

ESUSD can costs of the administration. The superintendent is paid a gasoline stipend and car allotment that should be cut; it amounts to more than $10,000 annually. The superintendent should also take a 10-percent to 15-percent pay cut as the top administrator, showing leadership by example. The other administrators (superintendent’s staff) should take a 10-percent cut across the board. The ESUSD administrators have sat idle and quiet in dealing with the economy, taking pay increases and using reclassifications to mask past pay increases. They also want to take the same percentage cut that teachers may have to take.

Asking the teachers who make between $30,000 and $70,000 annually to take the same percentage pay cut as a person making more than $150,000 annually is grossly unfair and demonstrates poor leadership. The ESUSD should implement graduated pay cuts, like the University of California system did in 2009. The example of cuts could be like 2 percent for those earning less than $50,000, 3 percent for $60,000, 4 percent for $75,000, 5 percent at $90,000, 6 percent at $110,000, 8 percent for $125,000, 10 percent for $150,000 and above, 15 percent for $190,000 and above. … Continue reading →

Two teachers at El Segundo High School may be disciplined for their involvement in helping a City Council candidate get hundreds of campaign signs made in the school’s wood shop. El Segundo Unified School District Supt. William Manahan said he will make a decision before April 23.

Peter MacDonald, attorney for the school district, launched an investigation after 246 signs for council candidate Mike Gordon were found in the wood shop early last month. Gordon, running in today’s city election, said he was paying the students to assemble the signs after class. … Continue reading →

A little extracurricular activity in a high school woodworking shop has some El Segundo City Council candidates fuming.

Until Monday, nearly 250 campaign yard signs for one of their opponents, Michael Gordon, were being assembled after class by students being paid $4.25 an hour at El Segundo High School.

Gordon, who is one of six candidates running for three City Council seats in the April 9 election, said he was approached by two El Segundo High School teachers about putting the signs together. One of the teachers was woodworking teacher Anthony Hawkesworth, he said. Gordon saw nothing wrong. … Continue reading →

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GENERAL ELECTION:Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Vote for Donald Trump because the future of the Supreme Court and our Constitution are at extreme risk if Hillary Clinton wins.

Vote "NO" on ALL Tax Measures. All taxes combined are much too high, and customers pay the business taxes that are passed on to us as a cost of doing business. The liberal tax-and-spend politicians must learn to live within our means.

Vote NO on the measure to ban the Death Penalty for Terrorists and other Mass-Murderers.

Vote YES on the measure to speed up the Death Penalty for Terrorists and other Mass-Murderers.